Question: What are your thoughts on Christians who take their own lives, and what will happen to ...

October 1, 1998

TBC Staff

Question: What are your thoughts on Christians who take their own lives, and what will happen to them?

Response: What do the Scriptures say? They are certainly not silent on the subject, including the stories of those who committed suicide (King Saul and Judas, for example).

One thing is certain. The sixth commandment of the Lord says very emphatically, “Thou shalt not kill” (Ex 20:13). A more accurate rendering would be, “Thou shalt not murder.” This verse does not add the word “others” at the end of the command. Consequently, the prohibition covers everyone. You shall not murder others, yourself, or anyone. God alone is the Judge over His creation (Rom:9:21; 12:19; Ps:94:2).

You ask about the consequences of suicide. While the Scriptures affirm the security of the believer, the Lord Jesus also strongly warned about the loss of reward a believer may suffer because of his actions (1 Cor:3:15). Consider the eleventh chapter of Hebrews and the heroes of the faith. They all endured horrendous experiences and circumstances, with many losing their lives, but not through suicide. Samson’s death involved more self-sacrifice than suicide, as opposed to King Saul, for example. Samson knew that his last act of judgment against the Philistines would result in his own death. A vast difference exists between this and Sauls’ cowardly attempts to avoid the consequences of his own actions (1 Sm 31:4)

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